The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-02-02
The rax on Water Companies.

ever TO any practlcai hO'HON - u0"ins VIII
the difficulty.
The Tax on Water Companies.
At9p.m.. the committee on finance gave
hearing on the bill to put State tax on
water companies. which should be in lieu Of
all other taxes. Mayor Macomber and City
Solicitor Choate of Augusta were present.
Representative Shaw of Portland, who is
an assessor of the city, was present, and
said that there were sixteen miles of water
pipe in the city of Portland, and this bill
would strike at the root OIL the municipal
system of taxing this, and lose the income
to the city.
Representative Allen of Alfred, who in
troduced the BILL said the principle of taxa
ton embodied was the same as that by
which the State taxes the property of saw
ings banks and railroad corporations within
its boundaries. He had heard the bill criti-
cised. and to meet this criticism proposed
certain changes, VIZ Ihat the real estate
and buildings of the companies be taxed in
the towns and cities, but all other property
of the COMPANIES be exempt from municipal
taxation; that the per cent OF state taxation
be placed higher, and the amount collected
by this taxation be disIrlpuse1 h DSso Tue
Gated Mr.. Allen would have the companies
which had made agreements with towns or
cities for exemption from taxation for term
of years, exempted from the provisions Of
the bill.
journment this afternoon, continued this
evening the hearing on the Dill Tor State
tax on water companies. Hon.. wilbur 4:
Lunt of Portland appeared hrst in behalf OF
the town of Gorham, which strenuonsly OBJ
jects to any proposition that might leave
their town no chance to tax the property OF
the Portland Water Company, which lies in
Gorham. A. A. Strout, Esq. appeared for
the Portland Water Company. First Select
man Mcclellan of Gorham aided Mr.. Lunt
with some very bright explanations of the
way the bill, if passed, would shut Gorham
out of her taxes. The hearing did not close
tonight, but was continued till Friday.
Hearing before the Committee on
Ways and Bridges.
The committee on ways and bridges saw
this evening one of the best fights of the
session. Portland met Deering and West
brook to see which side could give the best
reasons that the other should support Pride's
and Stroudwater bridges. They had it all
the afternoon in Representatives Hall be-
fore large audience, and this evening
continued the fight in the judiciary room
until nearly midnight. For the city there
were Mayor Chapman, Judge Symonds,
County Attorney Seiders and Alderman V.
G. Wilson. For the other side there were
Judge Nathan CleaveS, Byron ID. VerrilL
Esq, Judge Ray, l.. B. bennett, Esq, and
the selectmen of Deering and WestbrOok.
Judge Symonds opened with the argument
that there exists no contract by which Port
land is bound to support those bridges, and
that it rests with the Legislature TO say
whether an arrangement shall be continued
ffolNI Afcfr M
public burdens. The other side argued and
introduced many witnesses to show that the
bridges are of advantage to Portland, and
that she is bound to the old arrangement
The committee have reached no decision.
The Death Penalty.
''Yes sir, there is going to be fight, and
stiff one, too, over capital punishment this
session." said prominent member of the
House and of the judiciary committee today.
81 shall not begin it myself, but there are
plenty of others that will" So far little has
been said about the subject, but the venera-
BILE Quaker. Eli Jones, has sent in long pc
tition which has gone to the judiciary com
mittee. This will bring the question up. The
Governor and Council have not yet done any
thing in regard to Mrs. Barrows, who will
hang next April unless her sentence shall be
committed. Some of the Council lately in
Thomaston, saw her, and came away with
the impression that she is not so bad w0-
man as represented. But so far the matter
has hardly been talked over in the council
chamber.
Mr. Looney will introduce tomorrow bill
to provide for inflicting the death penalty by
hypOdermic injection of morphine instead
of by hanging. This bill has been prepared
by Dr. Gerrish of Portland
Bar Harbor's Water.
The hearing before the Judiciary commit
tee on the petition for a new water company
at Bar Harbor attracted crowds to the Sem
ate chamber this afternoon. For the new
company, the Eden, l.. G. Cornish, Esq. Of
Augusta, opened the case in a very clear and
able speech which explained the grounds on
which the new charter was asked. The re-
mainder Of the hearing until nightfall was
occupied by the examination of witnesses,
ATTORNEY General Baker, making the exam
nations. Mr.. Blaine listened throughout,
though his testimony was not called for.
For the Bar Harbor Company in which the
Rodicks are interested, George G. Yeaton
was conducting the case, but did not open
his side A great many witnesses were
present for both sides. The hearing will
continue tomorrow.
Educational Matters.
The committee on agriculture met this af-
ternoon and recommended these appropria-
tions for the State College for the next two
| years.
Natural history building. s25, 10000
Instruction ................ 100000
| Travelling expenses Of teachers. 10000
Insurance. 2.500.00
Water supply. 1,OOOOO
Repairs. .........-....:.........1 10000
To reimburse for losses on CATTLE. 4,6S7. 80
The committee voted to recommend that
the Coburn bequest of 100000 be funded
| by an issue of State 6per cent bonds, SO that
| the college may get an annual income of
| $4,000 for it.
The educational committee today heard
those who favored or opposed State Board
| of Education and uniformity of text books
Representative Allen of Alfred and Rev.
| Hudson Sawyer of Houlton appeared in
| favor of the bill. These gentlemen were
| against it, although they favored free text
| books: DR.. j. o. Webster of Augusta, G. A.
| Robertson of Augusta, Secretary of State
Smith, and County Attorney Seiders OF
| Portland.
/ The committee have voted to report favor
the attendance of children between 6 and 10
years at school for at least sixteen weeks.
| The bill has teeth" for enforcement.
Notes.
The Chamberlain Records are bone OF
contention with the Bangor people. These
records were some years ago copied from the
county records, and. with the exception of a
few plans, are, identical with them. A bill
has been brought forward to allow Penobscoi
county to purchase the Chamberlain records
but is not likely to pass, and most of the
Penobscot delegation, to whom it has been
referred, declare that no one but the real es.
tate agent who owns the records, wants the
county to purchase them.
Mr.. Walton, of Skowhegan, has an amend
ment which he wants made to the Revised
Statutes, and he introduced a bill to effect
his purpose this morning. At present If |
man mortgages property to secure perform
ance of collateral agreement that propert.
is secure against all claims of creditors o.
the mortgagor. This bill provides that thu
| creditor may take the property, and himsel
assume responsibility for performance OF TIN
collateral agreement
A bill came into the Senate this morning
that looks like move of the lawyers agains
the registers of deeds. 1t is called "An ac
J to prohibit registers of deeds from drafting
ami taking acknowledgment OF deeds, mort
cages and other instruments" This bill
halls from Bangor.
A bill to lengthen the shooting season fo
moose, caribou and deer has been presente
and referred to the committee on fsherie
l IA .xxo,,ld boua al0ca fima and nj